The scorecard is out on the unbelievably gruesome murder of Noor Muqaddam that haunted the entire nation and Pakistan’s judiciary has passed with flying colours. While even a death sentence does little to compensate for the gristly horrors of Muqaddam’s beheading and the astonishingly senseless tactics from the defence counsel to shift the gavel in his favour, our law comes with some limitations in light of humanity and sanctity of life, which we have to abide by no matter what our preference may be. It remains to be seen whether the High Court (a definite stop on the Jaffer’s hotlist) would uphold the sentencing but until then, a little pat on the back would do everyone considerably good. The long, long list of theatrics we’ve seen at play during the last few months speaks volumes about a determined resolve to get things sorted no way but the way of the autocrat. When the insanity charades did not seem to toot the tune, the tragic masterstroke of blaming the victim’s family while weaving in good old character assassination and an always-in-vogue sprinkle of honour killing might have earned Jaffer’s lawyer his hefty paycheck but the can of worms he let open on the credibility of his profession cannot be made right. More worrisome remains his likely oblivion to the consequences of this poisoned well.
Justice has indeed taken a huge leap today but has it taught us, the prototypical misogynist nation, any lesson? Its unwillingness to bend to the will of the wealthy should be appreciated but can celebrations really be called for? No verdict, however landmark, would bring a raped, battered, sliced to pieces dead woman back to life. Jaffer’s sentencing might have given her family some relief but overcoming their grief and the endless dissection of Noor’s last minutes from a thousand different angles would not be possible. Seemingly, violence against women is well on its way to becoming our national sport with Pakistan already slated as the sixth most dangerous country in the world for women. As wives continue to be burned to death, daughters stare down the barrel of a gun and mothers and sisters live in constant fear for their lives, some in the name of honour, others for the sake of money and when all tricks from the playbook are done with, for something as ridiculous as the shape of a roti, we would have to generate a string of hashtags on a daily basis. Sadly, it takes death for a Pakistani woman and her struggles to be noticed by those around her. Until another ill-starred Noor comes along, let us pray (because hopes are done with) for some miraculous legislation and much-tightened protection to land at our feet.
